Tramp, camp or glamp you way through Atlantic Canada this summer

By Heather Laura Clarke on May 16, 2018

While some campers enjoy sleeping on the rocky ground and peeing into a hole, others prefer a few conveniences like flush-toilets and playgrounds. And then there are “glampers,” who want thick mattresses, hot showers and their own personal hot tub.

Are you planning a camping trip in Atlantic Canada this summer? Whether you’re looking to “tramp” (as in, hike through the woods to get there), camp or glamp, here are some of our top picks.

Pirate’s Haven in Robinsons is an ATV-friendly RV park — bring your own or rent one. There’s an activity centre with theme nights and festivals, and they celebrate all of the holidays with food and merriment.

Glamp

Berry Hill Campground in Rocky Harbour (Parks Canada Gros Morne National Park) has rustic cabins that include beds, furniture, a fire pit with fire wood, a barbeque and comfy Adirondack chairs. Or you can book an OTENTik — complete with a comfy bed and a ready to go campsite — for an outdoorsy experience that won’t leave you shivering on the hard ground.

New Brunswick

Tramp

If you are ready to explore Fundy National Park in Alma as a backcountry traveller, experiencing the natural wonders only ever seen by a small percentage of visitors, these next places will be right up your alley. Book a site at Goose River, Marven Lake, Tracey Lake or Chambers Lake, pack your cook stove and lots of drinking water, and you’re off on your next adventure.

Camp

Gas up your big-rig and make tracks for Hartt Island RV Resort in Fredericton. It overlooks the beautiful Saint John River and has all the amenities you need for a classic (well, modern) camping experience. There’s even an on-site water park with slides, sprays and a vortex!

Glamp

Book a “Dream Dome” at Ridgeback Lodge on the Kingston Peninsula, and you’ll be treated to a luxurious night in nature. There’s a memory foam bed, a stove for chilly evenings, a fully equipped kitchenette, a bathroom (with a toilet and a shower) and your own private wood-fired hot tub.

Nova Scotia

Tramp

More than 80 per cent of Kejimkujik National Park is classified as “backcountry,” and many of the remote sites can only be accessed via a canoe ride or a long hike. Kejimkujik is also a Dark Sky Preserve, which means you’re in for an amazing stargazing experience — layer after layer of bright stars — without any light pollution to get in the way.

Camp

If you’re camping with kids in tow, they’ll love the activities at Hidden Hilltop Family Campground in Glenholme. There’s a pool, a petting zoo, a mini-golf course, a huge playground, wagon rides and plenty of scheduled activities to keep them entertained.

Glamp

Located near the tip of Cape Breton in Englishtown, Cabot Shores is a rustic resort that offers plenty of non-tent sleeping arrangements — country style rooms, chalets, yurts, treehouses and even tipis, as well as a farmhouse that can sleep up to 15 people.

P.E.I.

Tramp

While P.E.I. has plenty of campgrounds, they all have amenities that prevent them from falling into the “off-the-grid” category. Perhaps, we can recommend sleeping in the backseat of your car in a fast-food parking lot? There aren’t toilets or showers, so …?

Camp

Campers come back year after year to Twin Shores in Kensington, P.E.I. It boasts three sandy beaches along the Island’s north shore, a “bark park” where dogs can run free with their furry friends, a large playground, a fitness center and three laundromats for washing those grimy camping outfits.

Glamp

At Treetop Haven in Albany, you can sleep in a comfortable geodesic dome in the trees. It’s called a TreePOD and they have one-bedroom and two-bedroom options that can accommodate one to six guests. Soak in the private hot tub or just relax and eat dinner on the deck before retiring to your snuggly bed in the trees.